The couple that twinkles together, stays together…Especially when they show up at a Halloween party dressed like this and no one else is in costume.
I’ve always loved Halloween. I was about 13 years old when I discovered I loved it an inordinate amount. My mother was startled by what I considered brilliantly thrifty decorations. I used all sorts of ordinary household items to create an interactive haunted house in my room. I stuff plastic bags into my black tights, to make thin, frail, crunchy legs, and then I made a torso out of the dome light in the center of my ceiling fan. The legs swung as wildly as a witch coming through the ceiling and I was delighted. My idea worked! She screamed when she saw it and took me to church.
I have not outgrown my love for Halloween. It is the one day of the year I can be creepy, creative, carelessly weird. In fact, as the years have gone on, I’ve gotten better at Halloween. Each year, I endeavor to top myself.
Below is a picture story of my greatest pieces of work in recent years. I created each of these costumes, always stretching my weird but delightful imagination to its limit and avoiding all mass produced costume-wear.
Before getting to the good stuff, it is helpful to know that several years ago I negotiated a contract with my husband by which I acquired the right to dress him as whatever I want for Halloween for the duration of our lives. We executed a sophisticated 3-page agreement that included a budget limit and a provision for safety at his demand, and expedited dispute resolution and non-disparagement clauses by mine. As you will see below, he is my most beloved muse.
Despicable Me 2
One of my favorite movies is Despicable Me 2. I was taken by the villain, El Macho, and his vicious sidekick, a chicken named El Pollito. And so, that’s what we were for Halloween 2013.
This was my first foray into chest hair, and Uly’s first into feathers. My costume was quite accurate, but it was generally overshadowed by the giant chicken accompanying me. I was OK with that.
To make Uly’s costume, I purchased “boas in bulk.” I pinned the boas inch by inch to a sweatshirt and shorts to make a surprisingly comfortable chicken suit. I sourced red rubber cup covers and a knit hat, as well as red tights, brown floppy slippers and yellow paint to finish the look.
The result brought on many “Why did the chicken cross the road” jokes. Also, car horns, shouts of cheer, and other public forms of encouragement from complete strangers.
While he looks like a happy little chicken, he channeled his inner vicious El Pollito at one point that night. A former frat boy suffering from the onset of his beer belly wouldn’t let go of my sister’s arm and was hurting her. El Pollito busted a locked door wide open to get to the guy prompting Mary to scream, “Do you really want to mess with this guy?!” The answer was no, he did not.
Aladdin
In 2014, I wanted to play with proportions. The challenge I gave myself and gladly accepted was to make my gentle giant of a husband into something flat. What better than Magic Carpet from the great classic film, Aladdin?
I sourced a beautiful fabric that screamed Magic!, and then I constructed the form using stiff curtain-making accessories, including tassels and fringe. Boom! Flat as a carpet, though he forced me to cut emergency hand access points into the seam, pursuant to the safety provision of our contract.
To accompany the very realistic carpet, I appeared as Genie. Complete with song and dance routine.
Prince and the Piñata
I’m not always interested in creating a couple’s ensemble, however. In 2016, I felt compelled to be Prince. I’d always wanted to be Prince, just for a day. So I did it. Spectacularly.
By this time, I was very comfortable sporting chest hair and sideburns. In fact, this look felt exquisitely natural for me.
This costume came alive with a choreographed performance of Purple Rain.
For Uly’s costume, I wanted an interactive element. I made him a giant piñata, with three different places for people to reach INTO his costume and take sweet, sweet candy out.
Piñata in progress…
The finished product. He couldn’t actually sit in the costume, but it was worth it in my view.
Even though our costumes didn’t quite make sense together, we were still a stunning couple.
The Statue of Liberty and Her Torch
This year, I ran a half marathon through Liberty State Park, and was inspired to dress Uly as Lady Liberty. On a friend’s suggestion, I went back the way of a couple’s costume, and dressed as her torch.
The labor behind these costumes was intensive. Indeed, there were injuries. But I painted the exact pattern of my choosing on that green paper, sewed Uly’s dress, and recreated the crown to the best proportionality I could estimate.
Look at that sparkle.
We showed up to a Halloween party dressed this way, only to find that no one else was dressed in costume. We stood out. But then again, on Halloween (or really any day), isn’t that the point?
We got a few strange looks, and more than a few questions as to why I made such an effort. The answer is very simple and has been consistently true since my childhood. I’m just a Halloweirdo.
Honorable mentions to my Michael Jackson, Betty Boop, Bill Cosby, Raggedy Ann, and work appropriate Kermit the Frog costumes.